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Hi we used this story in the autumn term to tie in with our light and dark topic, its lovely and the children (year 1) loved it. We had a 'small world' set up and the children loved to act out the story. If you have knowledge box in school you can access Martin waddell reading the story in his irish accent, which again the chidren really enjoyed. We did story maps to begin with, and then we recieved a letter off the owl babies telling us a builder wanted to chop down their woods! So we had a campaign to save the woods, lots of posters, letters and an information book on some of the animals that lived in the woods- researched by the children in school and at home. Needless to say the woods were saved!!

Focussed Activity Plan OWL BABIES Shared Reading and Writing
Small World Play
Learning Focus: To have a developing awareness of their own needs and feelings and to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of others

To listen with enjoyment, and respond, to stories and make up their own stories To extend their vocabulary, exploring the meanings and sounds of new words
Activities
Share with the children Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, in which three little owls sit and wait in a tree for their mother to come home.
Session 1
? Introduce the book to the children, discuss the role of an author and an illustrator. Look at the front cover illustration and discuss what the story could be about.
? Read the story to the children, emphasising the repetitive text in which Bill says, 'I want my mummy'. The children are likely to join in with this refrain.
? Introduce the branch with the props and discuss how the owls must be feeling when their mother doesn't return.
Session 2
? Retell the story, with the children joining in.
? Discuss with the children how the owls might feel when their wish comes true and their mother returns to them.
Extended Activity (Tuff Spot, Mother Owl, 3 Owl babies, branch, grass, greenery, gravel)
? Give some children opportunities to retell the story using the branch and the puppets
Key vocabulary (possible shared writing, with white board)
Sad, lonely, unhappy, miserable, gloomy, sorrowful, abandoned, happy, glad, overjoyed, delighted, thrilled, ecstatic, trunk, twigs, wise, branch, ivy, swoop, flap, wingspan
Questions to ask
* What do you think the three baby owls are thinking at the moment? How do you think they feel? Can you think of other words that mean the same as 'sad'?
* How did you feel? What cheered you up?
* How are the baby owls feeling now that their mother has returned? Can you think of words to describe how happy they are?
* Why do you think their mother went away? If their mother goes away again, do you think the owl babies will be as unhappy and afraid? Why not?

PSE 2 Step 2 Can participate and speak in a familiar group with support.Step 3 Can communicate and participate freely within a group. Step 4 Try ideas and express opinions within a group.
PSE 4 Step 2 Can describe how he/she is feeling Step 3 Can make observations about own experiences.
CLL 2 Step 1 Listen and Responds Step 2 Can join in with repetitive refrains and other written language.(Observe New Starters) Step 3 Listen to and recall stories and respond accordingly. Step 4 Is able to use familiar story and other language within play and discussion. C3 Step 3 Extends role play using stories.

Three little owls in an old elm tree,
Fluffy and puffy as owls could be.
Blinking and winking
With bright round eyes,
At the big round moon that hung
in the skies.
As I passed beneath,
I could hear one say,
There?ll be nice things for supper,
There will, today!
Then all of them hooted,
To?whit, T?whoo!
Yes, nice things for supper,
Hoo?hoo, Hoo?hoo!

* Provide assorted feathers, reclaimed boxes, trays of paint, paper and card in different sizes and shapes and adhesive.
* Encourage the children to explore the feathers and how they can be used to make marks.

Play possibilities
* Making marks and creating patterns with the feathers and paint.
* Exploring the resources and materials.
* Fixing boxes together and painting them.
* Using the feathers to enhance 3D models or as decoration.
* Making 2D collages.

Possible learning outcomes
Operates independently within the environment.
Uses language for an increasing range of purposes.
Uses a range of small equipment.
Explores colour, texture, form and shape in two dimensions.

Extension activities
* Revisit the story with a small group of children and encourage them to discuss the owl babies' feelings. Provide leaf-shaped pieces of paper and encourage the children to write down individual words to describe happy or sad feelings, acting as a scribe where appropriate. Create a three-dimensional display, with the owl babies alone and the 'sad' words, and then the owl babies with their mother and the 'happy' words.
* Encourage the children to make their own story props of the owls.
* Introduce the rhyme 'Two Little Dicky Birds Sitting on a Wall' to the children, using finger puppets.